Walmart Unveils AI Shopping Agents and Gateway Platform for Automated Retail
Walmart unveiled new tools allowing AI agents to shop for customers, contrasting with Amazon's stance. The platform introduces agent profiles and strict spending limits.
Walmart has unveiled new AI tools designed to allow artificial intelligence agents to shop on behalf of customers. The retail giant announced that next month it will introduce 'Agent Profiles', giving users the ability to select specific AI agents, track automated purchases, and set strict spending limits for their shopping carts.
Under the new system, customers will be able to monitor agent-driven transactions separately from their personal orders and revoke agent access at any time. Walmart emphasized that users retain full control, and AI agents will be blocked from accessing sensitive credit card data.
Concurrently, Walmart launched the 'Walmart Agent Gateway' platform. This infrastructure allows leading AI assistants, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, to connect directly to Walmart and Sam's Club systems to search for products and execute purchases.
The move sets Walmart apart from its chief competitor, Amazon, which recently indicated it would not integrate similar AI shopping agents into its platform. Industry analysts note this strategic divergence could reshape the future of automated e-commerce.
